Pregnant PHOTO SHOOT and 38 Weeks Update

So I had my doctor's appointment today. My weight hasn't changed in the last month. My blood pressure was low-normal. Baby's heartbeat was in the 140s bpm, the abdomen measures 36 cm again. I asked about that and told her that it was like that last time and she looked and said it was like that the time before as well. So I guess Carly hasn't really grown for 3 weeks. The cm can be off by 2 weeks and still be in the normal range. So if she is 36 cm next week then they will do an ultrasound to check the fluid and a non-stress test. They haven't really been worried because her movement has been all fine and dandy. But they said if I ever notice not enough movement then she maybe lacking in fluid. This seems like the same scenario that Grant was in when he was in the womb. He was fine even up until they induced at 41 weeks. If she is fine I will try to wait until 42 weeks and then they will induce for sure. They checked me as well and I am dilated to a 1. I am 70% effaced and she as at a -2 station.
Now the more fun part! My sister Amber did a pregnant photo shoot for me. I was 37 weeks and 1 day at the time of the shoot. She did a fantastic job!

4th of July Week

So my parents decided to come visit me for the whole week of the fourth. I was thrilled because I love company. I get super tired but it is much more exciting when there is family to hang out with all day. My dad has a few days he needed to use and we were the closest option. They got here the Saturday before the fourth and stayed until the Sunday morning after. I had this big itinerary planned for them. Monday we went to Colonial Fest and got to experience what the colonial times were like and some of their food. We tried hard tack, Joe Frogger cookies, and applesauce cake (yum!). Tuesday my body decided to hate me and I got sick with flu symptoms, puked, laid on the couch all day eating nothing. Then the rest of the week I was slowly recovering and still am from that episode. Anyway, despite my sickness I forged on for the fourth and made a yummy angel food/blueberry/strawberry trifle, we woke up at the crack of dawn to see the hot air balloon fest! Grant loved it! Then came home to take a break and let Grant run around, and then we popped over to the Freedom Days, which was totally way to crowded and we will probably never go again. However the highlights there were Grant got to pet a huge snake, he bounced in a bounce house for free, and I bought kettle corn. Grant took a super long nap that afternoon and woke at 8pm lol so he was definitely going to be staying up for the fireworks. We had burgers and fries for dinner, the trifle for dessert and stayed up til 11 watching fireworks and doing our own. There was no need for us to go anywhere because at least 4 different neighbors bought at least $1000 worth of fireworks and put on their own show and it was pretty good with it not being professional. They even did a finale. I wasn't sure how Grant was going to be during the fireworks because I lit a couple last year and he was scared and then I showed him the ones you throw on the ground that pop and he started crying. So yeah he wasn't a fan. This year he loved them! I'm so glad. It made the experience all the more enjoyable. Thursday we went to DI and did a couple errands and Friday and Saturday I can't recall anything too exciting. But it was fun just having my parents here and hanging out.

New DI find: Toy weed wacker, as well as a toy leaf blower below.

Grant drumming while watching fireworks.

Grant singing Happy Birthday building his letter birthday cake in the corner, using his letter L as the spatula. 

His new friend the snail. Cat is Gizmo, the neighbor's cat.

He was sad when he couldn't find his snail the next day. So gross!

My mom has way more pictures than I do. I failed to snatch them from her. I will do that at Meg's wedding this weekend!

8 Months Preggers

So I'm 8 months pregnant and as much as I said I was thrilled about having a baby in the summer the heat really does suck. Heat makes me nauseous. Every once in a while God blesses me with lots and lots  of sweaty sweaty days with no nausea! Its great. I sweat like a pig but don't feel sick. So I'm just grateful to not be nauseous. My swamp cooler really should be more efficient but its not so I'm dealing with these record highs with really no escape. Anyway, we will plan our next baby as a spring baby and maybe the rest also spring babies. That way I will have my high pregnant body temperature to warm me in the winter months and then have the baby right when the out of doors is super inviting with the warmer weather but not be pregnant during it.

Anyway, so I have less than a month to go! That is if she comes on or before her due date. Who knows really but I will be full term in about 2 weeks (38 weeks). I'm 35 weeks and 2 days right now. The baby is measuring 36 cm. I weigh 172.4 so I lost .4lbs. My blood pressure was 106/60, the babies bpm were in the 150s, and I got my strep b test done. So as far as the weight thing goes, here is my theory:

All of you who knew me in high school and early college know I was little skinny lady and I worked out a ton and ate basically whatever. Well as a mommy I work out when I can but sometimes skip a week here and there and I would eat lots of candy and ice cream. For a month now I have been on and off again being sick from something. I don't have a parasite. My theory is that I'm sensitive or acquiring a milk allergy. So anyway, I haven't been having any ice cream and I have been avoiding candy until I feel normal again. Lately I still feel funny just eating normal healthy food and I get nauseous in the evening before bed. So I'm on a really nice high fruit and veggie and whole grain type eating habit and that is how I am losing weight. So being pregnant I was right on track with how much I should have been gaining but now I'm probably just losing all the other fat I did have before I got pregnant.  I'm sure if I normally ate this way and never had any sweets  I would automatically be that skinny girl I was before I got married, without needing to work out (due to the running around a toddler already makes as a work out for me). So anyway, that's that. Keep your fingers crossed I don't go into labor next weekend because I will be in Las Vegas with not a very cheap option to change flights. My mom said we would just jump in the car and drive up to orem as fast as we can and hope that we make it in time. My insurance doesn't cover out of state births. I guess the other option would be home delivery lol, or in the car. I'm pretty sure I will be fine though.

In other baby news, I am basically done with that quilt I started a while back. I just need to sew the border around it to reinforce the edges and get some embroidery thread to stitch the middle so it doesn't move.  I'm also anticipating my car seat canopy pattern (my mom convinced me a pattern would be best. I have never used one but I'm only in my infant stages of sewing). I already bought the fabric. Its going to be way cute and girly, but not babyish. I like having more adult looking fabrics for baby things. I also took out everything I was planning on taking out of Carly's room and putting it together. Her bed is ready, with a sheet over to protect it from dust, I'm about to put up some wall shadow box type shelves, her diapers are in there, her stuffed animals are decoratively placed, it is solely her room now. We moved out the computer too. Now for the to do list, I need to pack the hospital bag, brainstorm and make about 3 freezer meals (my mom will be there for the first 2 weeks), and take a tour of the maternity ward at the hospital. Woot! Pictures to come, I would rather look really hot (as good looking as you can look when you are huge and possibly retaining water) for the picture so you will see some of me while at me sister's wedding next weekend! YAY!

Sick Details/34 Week Check Up/Potty Training...

 So I posted about being sick. Well it didn't end there. I was sick for about a week and I'm still unsure about whether or not I'm better. I haven't completely resumed my normal diet. I can't have dairy except the good yogurt and I have to eat smaller amounts due to my tiny stomach from basically starving for a week and also my body may not be able to hand the hard to digest foods in large quantities. I'm forced to diet just because I would get nauseous if I didn't. A small dinner is actually too much food for me and I accidentally eat too much and feel sick after dinner lately. The reason I'm not confident in being better is because I felt better two times while sick and then got more sick all over again. So I'm a little scared. 

So I went to the doctor on day 7. They think I may have a parasite? Still need the lab results for that and  I also got a bladder infection probably due to being really dehydrated.  I am almost 100% with energy and I haven't felt nauseous for a couple days now.

As far as my doctors appointment goes, I weigh 172 now and lost 7 pounds since my last appointment. I feel that I technically lost 9 pounds because I was supposed to have gained 2 pounds in the last two weeks from the baby and everything. My blood pressure was 118/66 and the baby is 33cm give or take.  She is head down still and her bpm are 155-160.  So you know how I was complaining about feeling like I was gaining weight too fast, well not that I lost all that weight I'm not so worried anymore lol. With about 6 weeks to go (Whoa that sounds so soon!),  I should gain 6 pounds and maybe end the pregnancy with gaining 23 lbs. So thats definitely normal. So thats probably the only blessing in the sickness, other than forcing me to eat more nutritiously, but to not worry about the pregnancy weight anymore. I'm  really not worried about weight ever and I never weigh myself but I was only supposed to  gain up to 35 pounds and I gained it really fast and would have gone over that at the rate I was gaining. Anyway, enough about that. Carly is a ball of energy, moving and pushing, I have noticed my Braxton Hicks contractions again and look forward to possibly going into labor naturally (not induced) from reading my Bradley Method book.

Potty training is going well. I haven't been 100% committed due to appointments and I'm still trying to figure out what to do about his bowel movements always being during nap and early morning. But he had 1 accident yesterday with pee and went pee twice in the potties and tells me when he's going to go potty in his diaper if he's wearing one. I think it will take longer but he will get it down maybe within a week. I'm just so shocked by how easy it is.

Potty Training

So yesterday we had an unexpected start to potty training. I have been meaning to start and was going to about 2 weeks ago and then I realized I had appointments that would interrupt it so I postponed until after my family visited but then I came down with that nasty sickness of which I'm still recovering and I thought, well once I'm better I will. Then yesterday Grant was running around naked because he was air drying after having sat in water from the sand box and hose on. So he's running around and I decided to vacuum the kitchen, bathroom, and his bedroom. While I'm in his room I see him sitting on his little potty (which he always does) in the kitchen.  Then he said, "I went pee pee mommy!" I didn't really believe him because he always pretends to go and announces it. I turned off the vacuum and went to check just in case and viola! He went! No accident on the way either. I praised him and emptied the potty and let him flush and had him tell Grandma Flora, Grandpa Jim, Aunt Megan, and Daddy about his new experience.  He was so proud. About an hour later he went a little more. Just for everyone's sake I will tell you he did have an accident when we were playing downstairs. I forgot to point out where we placed the potty so he would have easy access. But a good learning experience to point out the potty and to teach him not to be happy about going on the carpet. So this hasn't been flawless.

I'm proud of him but even more so shocked that I was busy and not even thinking about him going to the potty. He didn't need me to watch his cues, he just knew when he needed to go. Now time for a poop and today I guess we will continue this potty training thing. I'm almost glad he shoved me into it because it is always better self lead and I have been praying to know when the right time would be for scheduling and what not. I already knew he was ready.

And a silly video we took of Grant the other day. He started doing this on his own and Perry was just trying to encourage it for taking a video.

Being Sick and Pregnant and the Latest

So they say it is worse being sick when pregnant. I wholeheartedly agree. Yesterday I came down with some food poisoning. My sister was poisoned and Grant was also poisoned, however I was the only one who vomited. I think my body reacted more violently because I am pregnant. But I very much like the food poisoning better than the actual flu. My full fledge symptoms lasted maybe 6 hours and then most of the day I laid on the couch, and as long as I didn't get up  I felt okay. With the flu you feel horrible no matter what position you are in. I feel blessed that I could find relief from just laying there.

Also Grant was being the perfect son and also taking advantage of my weakness by running rampant around the house and watching videos for the whole day.  He wasn't upset, well maybe just a little, about me not being able to play with him. He was actually very content. Usually on days with flu like symptoms he throws many tantrums and cries because he wants to play with me. Anyway, so that was also a blessing. I prayed that the sickness would pass quickly and that I would be able to bear it well, yet another blessing and prayer that was answered. Today I was weak from not eating yesterday but I finally got my house in order, cleaned the toilet from the sick day, and now I just need to vacuum and dust to feel like the house is spick and span. I even did several loads of laundry and fit in some fun outside time with Grant. There is just something that happens when you are sick that makes you appreciate your day to day monotonous chores and having this great desire to work and do those things you need to do. I definitely made up for the sickness yesterday and will probably sleep well tonight from working myself so hard. But I really enjoyed it.

The other thing about being pregnant and sick is also dependent upon how far along you are. With Carly being so big,  she moves and you feel it well. So with gastrointestinal upsets as well as nausea, when the baby moves around and kicks randomly it instantly makes your more nauseous and gurgley inside. Not my favorite moment of pregnancy. But funny story, the midwife has started to ask about counting kicks and I always feel like she moves enough but then I started to have doubts. So I started paying attention more and I realized she wasn't moving a ton. So I said a prayer to bring me at peace about her and to help her move to lessen my worries. Well ever since then she has been moving like crazy. I'm either hyperaware or she really is "kicking" it up a notch.

In other news we did Family Home Evening tonight and went mini golfing. We haven't gone in a while because we felt that Grant had lost his excitement about it since we went so often. We waited a couple months and decided it had been long enough and went. He loved it! He even started at the normal first putting spot and then would pick up his ball after a few attempts over there, and bring it really close to the hole. He was focused and followed us to every hole and also waited his turn well by standing on the sidelines. Basically it was wonderful and little guidance needed. He just followed suit instead of running around and throwing tantrums about weird things and so on. It was great. We topped it off by going to Yogurtland because I had a buy one get one free coupon as well as 3 oz of free yogurt. Fun fun!

Other Weekend Happenings

So on Friday we went to Bridal Veil Falls as part of the bridal theme of the weekend. We packed a lunch and walked to the falls (from the parking lot). It was maybe a mile in. Grant loves waterfalls and couldn't wait to see another one. He enjoys throwing rocks in the water.

The bride and her water fall veil.

She's so gorgeous.

Then the boys went to a Father-Son campout in Mount Pleasant. Grant apparently had a blast and loves to camp. Perry and my dad didn't get a lot of sleep but I think Grant did. He kept basically sleep crawling and talking to snuggle up to them. He also woke really early. I'm happy they had a great time.

Jumping on the bed!

Then there was Father's Day. We went to the duck pond after church and had lunch again.  And Grant liked the ducks but he was more into the river and again throwing rocks in. For Father's Day Grant got Perry a jar full of peanut M&Ms and the tag said "To my slightly nutty but sweet dad!" I got him a tiller because he enjoys gardening and ruffing up the soil, and I made him an ice cream snicker pie! My dad got a carton of his favorite ice cream and a Family picture frame. Mom made some rhubarb pie with our rhubarb in the yard too.

I'm 7 and a half months along.

Me and the wonderful father of my children!

Running around our yard in big boy underwear. We haven't started potty training yet but will be soon.